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SAN DIEGO – Eric Weddle received one of the most respected honors an NFL player can receive during his career, earning first-team All-Pro honors by vote of The Associated Press.

Weddle already had been named to his first Pro Bowl in addition to earning Chargers’ Defensive Player of the Year and being chosen to the USA Football All-Fundamentals Team, a testament to his 2011 season.

“It’s definitely a huge honor and humbling,” Weddle said. “It shows that hard work pays off. It’s all about consistency and playing at a high level and I want to continue to be one of the best safeties in the league.”

The All-Pro team chooses the best players at each position in the entire NFL, combining conferences into one squad. The Associated Press voted Weddle ahead of Baltimore’s Ed Reed, Seattle’s Earl Thomas and Arizona’s Adrian Wilson.

Weddle tied for the NFL lead with seven interceptions, a career high. His 93 tackles paced the Chargers’ secondary and were third on the team. He was the most consistent player on San Diego’s defense this season, breaking up passes, offering run support and often acting as a stop gap on the back end to prevent big plays.

“I think it’s overall consistent play,” Weddle said when asked what might have impressed voters. “I made a lot of plays on the ball, whether it’s picking off a pass or covering my guy and knocking down a pass. I’ve tried not to give up big plays. It’s just being sound in all phases and being an overall good football player.”

Weddle made game-clinching interceptions against Kansas City and Miami in back-to-back weeks, helping San Diego to a 4-1 start.

Weddle shared second-team All-Pro status last year with several players before signing a five-year contract with the Chargers through 2015.

“Eric has gotten better each year. It was important for us during camp to get him to a long-term contract and he has certainly made another step in terms of his progress as a football player,” Head Coach Norv Turner said.

“You see a young guy who each year has made progress as a player and who’s gotten better. When he had a couple situations (this year) where he didn’t play as well as he would like to or we would like him to, he responded the very next week and played his best.”